With an increase in the need for communication and information exchange, networks such as computer networks, telecommunications networks, mobile networks and the like are increasingly becoming popular. One of the main advantages of networks is the facility it provides for sharing resources. A network may have a number of users or applications, simultaneously trying to access one or more shared resources. Examples of the shared resources include, but are not limited to storage devices, peripheral devices such as printers, or rights in the network, such as a right to talk in a group call, and the like.
To access a shared resource, an application or a user requires a floor. As used herein, the floor may be an access right or a manipulation function for the shared resources. An application or a user having the floor is able to gain an access to the shared resources in the network. For example, in a group call, there can be many users participating simultaneously and the floor may be the right to talk in the group call. At any instance of time, there can only be one user as a floor holder in the group call. At that instance, the floor holder has the right to talk in the group call while other members of the group listen.
There are various methods available for managing floor control in a network. One existing method uses one or more centralized servers for managing floor control. The centralized servers receive request from the network and determine a floor holder. For example, telecommunications networks use centralized servers for determining the floor holder in a group call. A user sends a request for the floor control to the centralized servers. The centralized servers determine the floor holder based on the requests. However, this method involves dependence on the centralized servers. The method may fail when one or more of the centralized severs are unavailable. Moreover, this method is costly, since it requires maintaining the centralized servers. A second existing method for managing floor control requires a plurality of nodes, such as wireless base stations, to negotiate and to agree on a common floor holder by sending signals to each other. However, this method introduces delays that are caused by sending and receiving signals to determine the floor holder. Accordingly, there is a need for a new method and apparatus for managing floor control in a network.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.